Chefs Let Loose at the Palm Beach Food & Wine Festival

Local toques like Michael Schwartz and Giorgio Rapicavoli joined superstar chefs Daniel Boulud, David Burke, Marc Murphy, Todd English, Elizabeth Falkner, and more for the fourth annual Palm Beach Food & Wine Festival (Dec. 13-17). There was clearly camaraderie among the chefs as they spoke on panels, cooked together, and frolicked on the beach. Boulud threw a spectacular kick-off event at Café Boulud in The Brazilian Court Hotel; The Breakers Palm Beach organized a grand feast; and dinners were held at the tony island’s hottest restaurants, Buccan and Pistache. But it was the Four Seasons that became the focus of the festival, hosting panels, volleyball games, and a big afternoon barbecue called Chillin’ and Grillin’. Click through the slideshow below for more Palm Beach Food & Wine highlights.

The festival began with a panel discussion at the Four Seasons Resort Palm Beach, where Robert Irvine and Marc Murphy clearly enjoyed the wit of Jeff Mauro.

Photography by LILA PHOTO

Chefs took to the beach for more than cooking. David Lombardo, Marc Murphy,

Jeff Mauro, Robert Irvine, John Mahlmeister, event organizer David Sabin, and Justin Leonard enjoyed the beach at Get Served!, a volleyball game held at the Four Seasons. Irvine used his head to catapult the ball across the night. “I grew up playing soccer,’’ he shrugged.

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Daniel Boulud and Rick Mace grilled up chicken at Daniel & Friends, the festival kick-off held at Café Boulud in the courtyard of The Brazilian Court Hotel.

Boulud, Irvine, and Irvine’s trainer, Eric Fleishman show their strength at Daniel & Friends. “I’ve been talking to Marc Murphy and Daniel about training them,’’ said Fleishman. “They’ve gone from kitchen to spotlight."

Michael Schwartz, Clay Conley, and Dean James Max discuss purveyors and the Florida royal red shrimp at Chillin’ N’ Grillin', the Four Seasons’ seaside barbecue.

Photography by LILA PHOTO

Elizabeth Falkner whipped up her famous Californication pizza at Chillin’ N’ Grillin’. “I want to jump in the water and I don’t care what I look like in a bathing suit,’’ she said, eyeing the waves.

Photography by LILA PHOTO

The Breakers Circle room, prepared to host dinner for the An Evening in the Garden of Good and Evil event.

Photography by LILA PHOTO

Elizabeth Falkner and Irvine, bonding at An Evening in the Garden of Good and Evil at The Breakers Resort Palm Beach.

Photography by LILA PHOTO

David Burke and Todd English with Buccan partners Piper Quinn and Clay Conley at The Last Supper event at Buccan, Palm Beach. “Todd and I are old CIA buddies from the early ‘80s,’’ said Burke. “I brought $1,000 worth of truffles, but Todd sliced so many of them that we had to dip into Clay’s stash.’’